


Pranks

by aelin_and_feyre



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Nessian - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 09:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14257866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelin_and_feyre/pseuds/aelin_and_feyre
Summary: Nesta, who is just starting to acknowledge her budding feelings for a certain Illyrian, gets convinced to join him on a prank.





	Pranks

Nesta practically jumped out of her skin when Cassian sidled up next to her and asked, without prompting, “Wanna play a prank with me?” He was very close to her, his mouth right by her ear and his breath moving the soft hairs that broke loose from her bun.

She leaned away before turning to him with a half amused, half irritated expression. “What kind of prank?” Nesta was a little more than skeptical when it came to Cassian and his ‘plans’.

Seeming encouraged by her interest, the Illyrian smiled widely. “Let’s trick them into thinking we’re dating.” The way he said it made it sound like it wasn’t the most absurd thing in the world. Nesta almost fell off the couch.

“W-what? Why would I want to do that?” She sputtered, finding it hard to keep her voice in the correct octave. She didn’t know what he was trying to accomplish here, but she was sure that it wouldn’t be good. Especially because they’ve only just started being friends—if you could call it that. 

Nesta was only slowly letting her barriers against him drop, just recently acknowledging her budding feelings for him and starting to accept them. Not that he needed to know any of that. Having him this close to her was already sending her brain into overdrive.

Nesta didn’t realize that she had scooted away from him until Cassian inched closer. His dark eyes were intent and childish, but sincere in his goal to convince her. “Rhysand and Azriel have been badgering me for weeks on when we’re going to get together and I’m sure your sisters have been doing the same to you. If they are convinced that we’re dating, it might get them to leave us alone.” When Nesta didn’t react positively, Cassian continued unperturbed. “Plus, if we do it right—if we don’t make a big deal about it and don’t tell them how or why or when it happened when they ask—it will be hilarious watching them try to figure it out.”

Nesta honestly did not know how to react. Yes, her sisters have been a bit annoying about the prospect of her and Cassian, and yes, it would be pretty funny to show them that she doesn’t need their meddling… but pretending to date Cassian? She’s not sure she can handle that, especially when there are things between them that she can’t handle right now. She does not want to wake the bear that is her feelings.

Cassian was still sitting very close to her, too close for her to think straight. It’s probably because of this that Nesta found herself asking, “What would fake dating you entail?” And she put her book down on the table, something she does for almost no one. Cassian took this as a good sign and slid even closer to her, becoming more animated.

“The usual things that come with dating.” He slid his hand slowly, so as not to startle her, to interlace their fingers on her thigh. “Holding hands, pet names,” Cassian reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her pointed ear. Nesta tried not to shiver, she really did. “Finding excuses to touch each other.” His eyes met hers, staring into her soul. He cracked a small, almost shy smile and Nesta couldn’t breathe. “And, if you just can’t get enough of me, we can include cuddles and kisses as well.”

Nesta could not believe that she was even considering this. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she was afraid it might fall on the floor for everyone to see. He was just sitting so close and one hand was still holding hers and the other was resting on her collarbone, his thumb stroking the smooth skin there. And he looked so sincere and flirtatiously playful that Nesta just wanted to say yes, but not to pretend, to actually do all those things for real.

And then she had a thought. “Wait, are you playing a prank on me right now?” Her eyes narrowed and she was about to push him away with disgust. Before she could, Cassian tightened his grip on her hand and he moved to cup her cheek and pull her gaze back to him.

“No,” he assured quickly, “I just think it could be a cool experiment.” He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. She felt his breath on her mouth and chin. It smelled weirdly floral, like he’d been chewing on tulips. “Wouldn’t it be fun to be on the inside of one of my pranks for once?” Nesta chuckled softly. “It stops when you want it to stop, you can have complete control.”

It’s so strange to see him like this, his brown eyes wide and imploring, his voice soft and persuasive. Nesta was completely caught off guard. She almost didn’t want to disappoint him. At least, that was her reasoning for why she said, a playful lilt in her voice, “Ok, sweetheart, when do we start?” 

…

Walking into dinner that night with the Inner Circle, Cassian and Nesta sat side by side. This, by itself, is not necessarily unusual, but the way they entered—walking very close, their hands brushing—and the way Nesta smiled softly at Cassian in thanks when he pulled out her chair made everyone at the table widen their eyes a bit. Feyre and Elain exchanged a glance.

Dinner started calmly, Mor mentioning something that starts an easy conversation around the table, and Nesta was actually starting to get a little disappointed when she felt Cassian’s hand graze her thigh and then rest there under the table. She almost jumped under the touch and he started to pull his hand away but Nesta, without breaking her eating pattern, switched her fork to her other hand and entwined their fingers, placing both their hands firmly back on her leg. She didn’t have to look over at him to know that Cassian was grinning like an idiot.

Azriel eyed them suspiciously and Nesta had a feeling that there were shadows under the table watching them. That gave her a small smile as well. Cassian’s hand was warm and large, making it hard to concentrate on the food or the conversation. Feyre asked her a question and Nesta had her repeat it twice before she understood.

A few minutes later, Cassian leaned over to whisper tremendously quietly in her ear, making sure only she could hear, “Giggle like I’m saying something funny.” Nesta complied and all talk at the table paused as everyone glanced at them.

Mor lifted an eyebrow. “Care to share, Cass?” she asked. Cassian just leaned away from Nesta with a small chuckle and shook his head. Morrigan harrumphed and turned to continue her discussion with Lucien.

Rhys looked like he was itching to listen to their thoughts and figure out what was going on. Luckily, the High Lord respected his friends’ privacy enough to stay out. Amren narrowed her eyes at them over her goblet.

About halfway through the meal, Nesta decided she couldn’t handle the feeling of Cassian’s hand on her leg any longer and she lifted their laced hands onto the table. Their friends are apparently pathetic at keeping their emotions concealed. Surprise and shock flickered across each face at the table as they took in this new information. Again, any conversations having been stopped in their tracks.

Feyre looked expectantly at her sister. “Is there anything you would like to tell us, Nesta?”

Nesta could barely restrain from laughing. “No, why do you ask?” Cassian’s thumb brushed the back of her hand and she felt a tingle shoot up her arm. Feyre grumbled something but went back to her food.

To top it off, when Cassian refused to eat a certain vegetable on his plate, Nesta reached over and plucked it up with her own fork. With a girlish giggle that felt very odd traveling up her throat, she fed it to him. Lucien coughed uncomfortably and Amren stood up. “Okay, I can’t stomach this anymore.” She walked out the door.

Mor pushed back her chair. “I think dinner is over. Drinks on the balcony anyone?” Everyone quickly agreed and stood to follow. Rhys snapped and the food disappeared from the table.

As soon as they were all through the door, Cassian exploded with laughter and, to her surprise, Nesta joined him wholeheartedly. He released her hand and she immediately felt the loss as cool air graced her slightly sweaty palm. Nesta sobered and looked at her hand blankly as if there was some secret in the lines. She was so entranced that she didn’t notice Cassian by the door until he called her name.

“Are you coming?” He asked, smiling easily at her.

Her brow furrowed. “Where?”

“Drinks. The evening isn’t over yet, I’m just getting started.” The wink he sent her way got Nesta on her feet and on her way over to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and they walked together toward the terrace.

It was easy like this, with him, Nesta realized. He’s warm and solid next to her and his arm was comfortable and reassuring. It felt natural and Nesta was more at peace than she has been in a very long time. It also didn’t feel like pretend, and she’s not sure if that was a good thing or not. The walls around her heart were coming down and Nesta didn’t want to regret not fortifying them more.

Cassian ran ahead to claim a seat before Azriel could sit down and the shadowsinger scowled at him before finding a different chair. Nesta tried to go for the other empty spot but Cassian grabbed her hips as she passed and pulled her down on his lap. Reflex almost had her snarling at him but his arms circled her tightly and he nuzzled into her neck. Any fight in her completely disappeared and she relaxed into him.

Nesta could’ve sworn that Elain’s jaw touched the floor. Feyre slowly handed her a glass of wine with an extremely confused expression but Nesta just accepted it with a polite smile.

Rhys grunted. “It’s a gorgeous night tonight, isn’t it?” There were various sounds of agreement but none could keep a coherent conversation as eyes kept sliding to the two of them.

Cassian took the glass from Nesta and took a sip for himself before handing it back to her, placing a light kiss on her shoulder. It set Nesta on fire and she squirmed a little on his lap under the pretense of getting more comfortable. Cassian tightened his hold on her and his wings wrapped around them just enough that she could see them in her peripheral vision.

Mor was now blatantly staring, her glass of wine forgotten on the table next to her. Azriel was pointedly looking at the ground, his eyes portraying a sense of both horror and bewilderment. Nesta had a feeling that if she could read his mind, it would consist of an endless chorus of ‘What? What? What? What? What? What?’. Meanwhile, Lucien was just quietly shaking his as if this was just the kind of weird things he has come to expect in the Night Court.

Feeling daring, Nesta reached her arm out to touch the soft membrane of Cassian’s wing. She felt a shudder course through his body beneath her. The wings closed just a little bit more around the two of them as if urging her to touch them more. That was definitely not pretending.

Instead, Nesta reached back and hooked a hand behind the nape of his neck, playing with the coarse black hair. She caught Elain’s eye and, because she could and because she wanted to, Nesta winked at her sister, turned her head, and kissed Cassian on the cheek.

“What in the Cauldron?” Feyre exclaimed loudly, standing up from her seat next to Rhysand. She placed her hands on her hips and turned to Nesta, who wasn’t watching her, but rather staring into Cassian’s lovesick, wide eyes.

Mor stood beside the High Lady, arms crossed. “I don’t know what is going on with you two but, for the love of the Mother, get a room!”

A tense, long moment passed. Nesta finally broke Cassian’s gaze and looked at the Morrigan, her eyebrow raised in indignation. “Fine,” Nesta said agreeably, untangling herself from Cassian and pulling him to stand with her. “We’ll see you in the morning.” She met each of their eyes in turn and marched off the balcony with Cassian following her like a lost puppy.

When they made it to the hallway, Nesta didn’t feel like laughing. And Cassian—he was still looking at her as if the whole world around them had disappeared. And Nesta couldn’t blame him, because she had felt it too.

The moment her lips had touched his cheek, she felt that glimmering bridge, the invisible bond she’s been ignoring for so long, snap into a glistening, unbreakable string connecting the two of them. It had been all she could do to get past the Inner Circle and not run out of the room with him.

Cassian reached out a hand and she stepped closer to him, allowing herself to be pulled into his embrace. Her arms wound around his shoulders and he buried his face into her neck. They just stood like that in the hallway.

“I like pranking with you, Cassian,” Nesta murmured into the top of his head. Cassian made a noise into her collarbone that might have been a word, or a moan, or her name. “But I don’t want to play pretend, not with you, not anymore.” Her nose brushed his ear and they both trembled. And at that moment, Nesta decided. “I’m throwing away the mask. I’m done hiding from you.”

It was only when Nesta felt the something wet on her shoulder did she push him away and grasp his face in her hands. “You’re crying,” she remarked, “I thought you would be happy.” She was ready to be hurt, to feel rejected. She was prepared for him to push her away because this was not what he wanted at all.

But instead, Cassian’s hands fisted in the fabric of her dress and pulled her impossibly closer to him. He rested his palms on her spine, fingers splayed and chest heaving. Nesta’s eyes were wide and questioning as he nuzzled their noses together. “I am happy,” he said through the tears, drops running down his nose and dampening her cheeks. “I never thought this would happen.”

Nesta’s heart breaks at the sound of his desolated voice. She could only imagine what this must have meant for him. Five hundred years and he’s only just finding— “My mate,” Cassian all but whimpered. “You’re my mate and-” he hiccuped, his gaze searching her own, “-and you want me? You want to be with me?”

“Yes,” Nesta answered quickly because he looked like he might fall apart if she said anything else. Cassian cried harder, his wings rising to wrap around the two of them, creating their own membraneous room. “Of course I want to be with you, Cassian.” And because she felt like he might need the reassurance she added, “I want to be with every single part of you, every broken and bastard-born piece as well as the glorious commander parts.”

She dragged her hands through his hair, undoing the leather strap and letting it fall to the floor so the strands moved freely. Nesta wiped his cheeks with her thumbs soothingly, and when she felt comfortable enough, she leaned forward and cleared the rest of his tears away with the barest touch of her lips.

“I know we’ve wasted a lot of time,” she murmured when Cassian seemed to be calming down. “But we are both healthy and we both have long, long lives left to live.” She stared into his big dark eyes with more emotion than she had let herself feel in years, and whispered, “So Cassian, do you want to continue this prank together… for at least a little bit longer?”

Her mate’s voice was hoarse as he replied, “Yes, please.” And then Nesta kissed him and she thought Cassian might start crying all over again. But he didn’t, he just kissed her back with all the passion and love and hope that he wished he could have portrayed on the battlefield but was too weak to express. He kissed her for what might have been forever until Nesta distantly heard the sound of the balcony door opening.

“How about we take Mor’s advice and find a room,” she suggested against his lips. And she’s not sure how they got there but suddenly there’s a room and Cassian and a bed and Cassian and sheets and—Cassian. Nesta feels her barricade of shields and masks and gates completely fall away, because this is most definitely not pretend.

The Inner Circle never finds out how it happened, but they’re mostly just glad it finally did—although they’re also pretty freaked out by it as well.


End file.
